Best Gadgets with Google Assistant

Google Assistant Branches Out

Up until the end of last year, you could count the number of devices with Google Assistant on one hand. You had the original Google Home, the Google Home Mini, the Google Home Max, and a few other devices, such as the JBL Link20. In 2018, all of that has changed, as companies are now embedding Google's voice-activated assistant in an increasing number of gadgets — many of which are speakers. All of these devices have built-in microphones, enabling you to ask Google Assistant to do any number of things, such as calling a friend, looking up the news and weather, ordering food and much more. Here's a list of some of the things that Google Assistant can do.

Check out some of the best Google Assistant-enabled devices, many of which will be coming out this year.

Nest Cam IQ Indoor

In addition to being able to recognize individual faces, you can interact with the Nest Cam IQ Indoor as you would the Google Home smart speaker. The camera takes high-quality video both day and night, and has a fairly wide 130-degree field of view. Through Nest's app, you can also specify activity zones, areas where you want the camera to alert you if it detects motion. However, at $299, it's pricey.

Lenovo Smart Display

The Lenovo Smart Display is one of the few touchscreen devices currently on the market that has Google Assistant built in. Like the Echo Show and Echo Spot with Amazon's Alexa, the Smart Display also has a camera. Using Google Duo, you can video chat with contacts on a bright, colorful touchscreen. Dual 10-watt speakers pump out loud, balanced audio on par with that of the Echo Show. The Smart Display comes in 8- and 10-inch sizes, for $199 and and $249, respectively.

Credit: Lenovo

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JBL Link View

Like the Lenovo Smart Display, the JBL Link View also has an 8-inch touchscreen that lets you interact with Google Assistant, watch YouTube videos and more. Likewise, it also has two 10-watt speakers. JBL has yet to announce the price of the Link View, but it should be available in early September.

Credit: JBL

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iHome iGV1

iHome has already released an Alexa-enabled alarm clock, so it stands to reason that it would also develop one with Google Assistant inside. The iGV1 looks like someone took a Google Home and stretched it out. The top is made of white plastic, while the lower half is wrapped in a gray cloth. On the front is a large display that shows the time, and alarms you've set (it's dimmable), and the top has buttons to control music playback and Google Assistant, as well as a physical snooze button. The iGV1 will cost $139, and will be available in the near future.

Credit: iHome

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Onkyo Smart Speaker G3

Unlike most smart speakers, the Onkyo G3 is box-shaped, and fits right on your bookshelf. It's compact and well constructed, with a wood enclosure, bulging charcoal grill and glossy back. On the top are LEDs that indicate volume and Google Assistant status, and physical buttons for volume, play and pause, Bluetooth pairing, and muting the microphone. Its 3.1-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter deliver a massive volume, with clear vocals and a thundering bass. It's better than most smart speakers, including the Google Home itself.

Credit: Onkyo

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Solis SO-2000

iHome isn't the only one with a Google Assistant-powered alarm clock. Solis' SO-2000 ($169, available mid-2018) has two 5-watt speakers, and an LED clock that automatically sets the time from the Google Cloud. It measures 7 x 6.25 x 5.5 inches, and has Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi.

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LG ThinQ Speaker WK7

LG's smart ThinQ WK7 is the company's first speaker to incorporate Google Assistant. It has a simple cylindrical design (though it's a front-facing speaker), with physical buttons to turn on the microphone, control music, summon Google Assistant and switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. It delivers a decent sound at a decent price of $199.

Michael A. Prospero is the reviews editor at Laptop Mag and Tom’s Guide. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest kitchen gadget.